Insert James Bond Joke Here, Followed By Lawyer Joke

Russian Anna Chapman, who was deported from the U.S. in July 2010 on charges of espionage

We can’t say the following two events are connected, but they do amount to a remarkable coincidence.

In a blog post published Friday, John Altorelli, who recently left Dewey & LeBoeuf, told the Am Law Daily that he was less-than-hopeful that the firm would survive is current troubles:

I’m not sure how they can weather the departures. To be fair, I expect there will be more. There are younger guys down the food chain not making that much money. It’s hard to fault those who are making $300,000 or $400,000, if they could be making $600,000. You can’t balance the books on the backs of young partners who really are just making their way.

Altorelli, who joined DLA Piper as co-chairman of its domestic finance practice, had plenty of good things to say about Dewey and (now former) chairman Steven Davis, but he took shots at his former partners who extracted pay guarantees from the firm.

I did not have a contract. Other people did. I do not believe in contracts. I don’t have a contract here at DLA. I don’t worry about getting paid. I produce every year. I could have gotten one at Dewey. That is not how it has to work. If you’re any good, you don’t need a frickin’ contract. Its silly. If you deliver, you’ll get paid. The only people who need contracts are those who are not so secure. I feel bad that firms have to go that way, in competition for laterals and the like.

On Saturday night, the New York Post’s Page Six reported that Altorelli had been romantically involved with Anna Chapman, the most-famous of a group of 10 Russian spies arrested in 2010 in one of the most high-profile espionage cases in decades. According to the Post:

According to sources, the legal eagle and the sexy spy shacked up in his West 37th Street apartment. He threw a party there with Chapman in June 2010, just before her arrest, where he introduced her to friends as “the woman in his life.” Altorelli also boasted to pals that Chapman was very adventurous in bed.

It’s unclear when the relationship began, but sources tell Page Six that Altorelli caught Chapman’s eye after he separated from his wife and shed a lot of weight. They add that he showered Chapman with gifts, including clothes and jewels, and they cohabitated in his huge Hell’s Kitchen apartment.

Altorelli wasn’t suspected of helping Chapman; when her legal troubles started, she reportedly told him she was having visa issues. When reached by Law Blog, Altorelli declined to comment.

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